wren

 
Pronunciation: /rɛn/

noun

  • 1a small short-winged songbird found chiefly in the New World.
    • Family Troglodytidae: many genera and numerous species, in particular the very small Troglodytes troglodytes, which has a short cocked tail and is the only wren that occurs in the Old World
  • 2 [usually with modifier] any of a number of small songbirds that resemble the true wrens in size or appearance:
    • British a small warbler or kinglet, e.g. willow wren. Australian a bird of the family Maluridae or Acanthizidae.See emu-wren, fairy wren NZ a bird of the family Xenicidae. a Central or South American bird of the families Formicariidae, Polioptilidae, etc., e.g. ant-wren.

Origin:

Old English wrenna, of Germanic origin